Methods of saccharification of polysaccharides in plants

United States Patent

Saccharification of polysaccharides of plants is provided, where release of fermentable sugars from cellulose is obtained by adding plant tissue composition. Production of glucose is obtained without the need to add additional .beta.-glucosidase. Adding plant tissue composition to a process using a cellulose degrading composition to degrade cellulose results in an increase in the production of fermentable sugars compared to a process in which plant tissue composition is not added. Using plant tissue composition in a process using a cellulose degrading enzyme composition to degrade cellulose results in decrease in the amount of cellulose degrading enzyme composition or exogenously applied cellulase required to produce fermentable sugars.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
This work was made with Government support under contract DE FG36 08GO88025 awarded by the Department of Energy and under contract Award # N00014-07-1-1152 awarded by the Department of the Navy, Office of Naval Research. The Government has certain rights in the invention. This work was made with Government support under contract SBIR 2010-33610-20956 awarded by the United States Department of Agriculture.